Meet the Team
Rebecca Massie
Founder
I am a mental health activist, peer-provider, writer, and public speaker from San Francisco. I come to each of these positions with many years as a patient in the mental health system. My experiences as a patient allow for me to help others feel less alone as they navigate the mental health system.
I founded Better Because Collective because of the many stories I had heard of how people were able to better their lives through the skills they learned throughout their journeys. I searched for an online community where I could immerse myself in these stories but, to my surprise, was unable to find anything like this. It was clear to me that people not only needed to share their own stories, but that they needed to read the stories of others in order to help one another grow and heal.
So, I created a platform for people to share, celebrate, and learn from personal stories of post-traumatic growth. My hope is that Better Because Collective will help individuals in the midst of mental health experiences to find hope, and that it will serve as a teaching tool for mental health practitioners as they learn about post-traumatic growth.
Heather Austin Editor
I’m an inquisitive, open-minded, and easy-going Floridian who lives in Japan. I feel extremely lucky to have found my dream career: teaching English as a foreign language. Having also traveled to 20 countries, my unique background allows me to view the lived experiences of others through a different lens and interpret them in a meaningful way. With a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and a fascination with language, I understand the power of words and – thanks to my own experiences with mental wellness – how important they are in the healing process.
There is undeniable value in being heard and sharing one’s own experience of personal growth. I joined Better Because Collective to assist and support others in developing their stories in their own words, and, just as importantly, to help overcome the stigma surrounding mental health.